Chettinad chicken curry

Ingredients:
Chicken – 1 Kg
Big Onions – 4 (finely sliced lengthwise)
Green chilies – 3 (slit)
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
ginger-garlic paste – 4 tsp (preferably freshly ground)
Ripe Tomatoes – 3 (diced)
Coriander leaves – a handful (roughly chopped)
Oil – ½ cup
Salt to taste

To marinate chicken:
Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
:- Clean the chicken pieces and chop them to desired size (leave the drumsticks as whole pieces with just some slits here and there). Rub turmeric powder and lemon juice thoroughly on the pieces. Keep aside till you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Dry roast and grind to a fine paste:
Whole black pepper – 3 tbsp
Dry red chilies – 10
Khas khas (Poppy seeds) – 2 tbsp
Saunf (Fennel seeds) –2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp
Cardamom – 3
Cloves – 6
Cinnamon sticks – 2 one inch pieces
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Grated coconut – 4 tbsp
:- Dry roast all these ingredients and spread them on a plate to cool. In the small jar of the mixer grinder, grind them without water first; then add some water and grind them to a fine paste. Keep aside.

Method of preparation:
1.Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the onions and curry leaves and green chilies and saute till the onions turn brown.
2.Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till a nice aroma arises.
3.Add tomatoes and cook covered (using a regular plate) on low heat till the tomatoes are pulpy.
4.Once the tomatoes blend with the mixture add the ground paste, chicken and 2 cups of water and cover with the cooker lid and cook for 3 whistles, on high heat.
5.Once the steam settles by itself open the lid and cook till some of the water evaporates and you get the required consistency, which is a little more watery than a semi-gravy.
6.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.
:- this curry will taste even better the next day.
Happy cooking :)